story theory

The movie had both me and Valerie on the edge of our seats. When we come across a masterful movie we pull out as much as we can for you. This episode is chock-a-block full of info about point of view, narrative drive, clues, and liars. We also examine how the twist in The Good Liar is set up and pulled off. I continue to track the clues and motives this week...or should we say I track the lies. Valerie discusses how point of view and narrative drive work together to create this exciting thriller.

If you're building up to your twisty ending, this episode will have you speedwriting to get to the big reveal. -M

"When the whole meaning of a movie or a story changes, because of a vital piece of information REVEALED AT THE END then this is a device called a twist." - Melanie Hill

Related Story Nerd Episodes

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Season 9, Episode 4)

The Bourne Identity (Season 3, Episode 2)

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

It's one thing to write a dramatic character, but what if you want to write a comedic one? Do the same storytelling principles apply, or not? And what about the setting? It's yet another story set in New York so how did the writers distinguish it from the NYC we saw in FATAL ATTRACTION and CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? All this and much more in this week's episode.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Hooboy, this movie gets better with age. Why? Because when we watch it through the lens of 2023 it has much more depth and nuance. Glenn Close's character (Alex) is supposed to be the villain, but is she really? If you want to create a multi-dimensional antagonist who drives the plot and raises the stakes, you've got to listen to this episode.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

This is an episode you're going to want to bookmark because Melanie is offering up oodles of info about how to create a fictional world your readers will love. Yes, District 9 is science fiction, but the principles apply to all genres and all world types; contemporary, realistic, historical, fantasy...you name it. And Valerie continues her study of character development with a look at what can happen to your story when your reader empathizes more with the victim than the protagonist (hint: it's not good).

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Melvin Udall is not a nice man, but he sure is interesting and that's what makes this episode so important for writers. We concern ourselves with whether or not our reader will like our main character, but seldom do we consider whether our main character is interesting, or fascinating. Fascination is what we're after, not likability.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Season 5 kicks off with Men in Black. Valerie is studying plot structure, and Melanie is studying resonance. Now, admittedly, plot structure doesn't sound very sexy but it's one of the first decisions a writer must make. If you haven't chosen a structure for your novel, how will you know if what you've written is working? Resonance is the ability to evoke or suggest images, emotions, and memories, and all successful writers use it to draw on their readers' experiences. So, how are you putting it to use in your own WIP?

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

To wrap up Season 3, we're doing a rundown of everything we've learned in the past ten episodes about the beginnings and endings of stories (and how they work as a unit), and sequences. Be sure to bookmark this episode so you can return to it whenever you need a quick refresher!For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Did you know that if the alter ego doesn't have a gift to express, the superhero doesn't have a superpower? In this episode Valerie and Melanie discuss the importance of Carol Danvers's gift, and how expressing it ultimately enables her to both outsmart and overpower the forces of antagonism.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

This week's episode is a bit of a throwback to season one, as Valerie and Melanie debate the genre and whether the antagonist is a monster, or a man who is monstrous. (In the world of storytelling, there's a big difference!) What do you think, is The Invisible Man a horror or a thriller?For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

You can't go wrong with a performance story; it's a crowd-pleaser every time. With this genre, the opponent is usually the sole antagonist. But this film has a whole host of antagonists working together to complicate the plot and make life for the heroine very, very difficult. How did the writers weave together multiple forces of antagonism so seamlessly? Tune in to find out. For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Join literary editors and writers, Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill, as they analyze a film a week as an example of a storytelling principle. If you want to spend more time writing and less time studying, this show is for you. For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor